Without a Hint of Regret
by planets-in-the-sky
Summary: The life of thirteen year old Claire Lawson is anything but normal. Her parents fell out of love a long time ago, but kept a front that they were still together for her sake. But it isn't working and Claire is far from stupid. A lost love from years past by renters the life of Claire's father, and she is more than happy to watch sparks fly. OC/Eddie/Rachel/Melissa/Adam.


**Without A Hint Of Regret**

**Basically...** Everything that happened in series 3, 4 and 5 of Waterloo Road happened in this fanfiction. Melissa and Eddie had their baby, a girl called Claire who is now 13 and the main character of this story. Rachel **did** marry Adam and leave Waterloo Road to travel the world with him, plus Phos did happen in the same way but Ros' was only confused about sexuality and not certain. You can read this without not really know much about Waterloo Road itself as this is pretty self explanatory. As for the ages, all the adults are as you can imagine them being from the show but Phillip and Ros are now in their early thirties. Claire finds out after 13 years that she has a secret auntie - her Auntie Rachel. Desperate to know more, Claire questions big brother Phil and eventually ends up meeting her aunt. The two get on like a house on fire and Claire begins to notice her father's discomfort about the whole situation. He is happily married to Melissa and Rachel is happily married to Adam, or are they? Claire is about to find out the truth - one way or another.

**Chapter 1 - A Family Revelation**

"Mum, you don't just lie about something like that!".

13 year old, Claire Lawson was **not** happy. Her mother had kept yet another family secret away from her and she was astounded to believe how big it was this time.

"You have a sister and I have an auntie who I've never even met. What is wrong with you Mum? Why have you kept it from me for all this time?", she asked desperately, wanting and needing answers that only her mother could tell. How could she keep her in the dark for so long? What was so bad about her auntie that she wasn't even allowed to meet her? She couldn't have been as bad as her mother, that was for sure. No one could be as bad as Melissa Lawson. It was almost certain.

"I don't want you meeting her Claire", replied Melissa sharply, she would not be made to explain the circumstances surrounding her sister's absence from their lives. Things were complicated enough for them without involving Rachel. Melissa's relationship with her daughter was strained at the best of times and she feared that if Claire was to meet her aunt, she wouldn't want to know her mother anymore. She'd have Rachel instead, perfect Rachel who couldn't put a foot out of place. Only Melissa knew that she could, she could without so much as a second thought to those she hurt.

"Well, why not?", the young girl would not give up. The only family she was in contact with was her mum, her dad and her half-brothers Phillip and Michael. Everyone else at school had their own big extended families, she just wanted to meet her estranged aunt; why was that so bad?

"It's hard Claire... really hard... things happened between me and your Aunt Rachel just before you were born... things that are in the past sweetheart... things that are in the past and should remain that way for a reason... it's what's best for everyone darling... it is, believe me, I can promise you that much".

"What things Mum? What things should remain in the past?".

The only similarity between Claire and her mother was their matching tempers. They'd never back down on a fight, never leave a question unanswered, never give the other the benefit of the doubt. There relationship was fiery, they never bonded like mother and daughter should though both were quite glad of that fact. They never really got on. Claire was more of a daddy's girl. She was daddy's little angel, and Melissa envied this. She'd do anything to become the perfect mother she'd always dreamed of being. It was the same as it was with Phillip; she struggled, she couldn't cope. At least this time she had Eddie on hand to help her out. They married soon after Claire was born, but not for love, not because they wanted to.

It purely was for convenience, it was for Claire's sake over anybody else's. She deserved a stable, loving family. A normal family. The normal family she had found in the arms of her parents and their blatantly obvious loveless marriage. Anyone could see that they resented each other and Claire wasn't stupid. She knew how much her dad hated being with Melissa, he never let himself fully relax in front her. It was almost as if he was trapped, he couldn't escape from her clutches because every time he tried, Melissa always had something to tie him back down to her with. She wouldn't let go or she **couldn't**. Either way, Eddie was stuck with her whether he liked it or not.

"Things you don't need to know about...", Melissa decided to put plainly after a short pause. She had been avoiding the fact that these questions were going to have to be answered at some point during the past 13 years. She didn't want to have this conversation with Claire in the knowledge that it could cause her to loose her daughter **and** her husband whilst doing so. She really didn't want that, she couldn't let it happen. She needed them far too much than she was letting on. She was nothing without them.

"I think I have a right to know **Mother**!", shot back Claire. She wouldn't stop until she knew the truth. And the whole truth this time, not just her mother's watered down version of events.

"I don't want you to know darling", admitted Melissa softly, trying and succeeding in keeping her cool. She wouldn't let her cover slip, Claire needn't know that this was bothering her immensely. Melissa was never one to show her emotions, she kept them bottled up away from prying eyes.

"But I need to know Mum!", pleaded Claire, flashing her the best puppy dog eyes she could muster in the attempt to get her mother to open up to her.

"Don't give me that Claire... it doesn't work on me".

Claire sighed deeply, those eyes only worked on her dad, how stupid of her to forget. All of a sudden, an idea popped into Claire's head. If her mother wouldn't tell her what was going on then she was sure she knew someone else how would. **Two** someone else's to be precise.

"Fine! I'll ask Dad then!", she suggested forcefully, knowing this would be the last thing her mother would want.

"No you will not!", replied Melissa raising her voice in a panicked fashion. She had no idea what Eddie would do if Rachel was mentioned after all this time, after all without Claire's existence he'd still happily be with her right now.

"Right, I'll ask Phil then", considered Claire hopefully. Phil usually had the answer to everything, he might as well have been a modern version of Albert Einstein. He himself had now settled down with childhood sweetheart Ros McCain who he had met in high school and dated briefly. The two reunited at the age of 22 during a job interview and reconciled instantly after Ros discovered that her previous worries of being a lesbian had vanished. They were meant to be.

Having married a year later, their eight wedding anniversary was just nearing in, no one actually thought they'd last this long. Both have healthy careers in the medical sector and had been trying for a baby for the past six months with the help of some IBV treatment. Things were looking good for the pair and Claire was always welcome to visit them. She did this almost everyday. Claire was close to her oldest brother and his wife, despite the couple being polar opposites to herself.

"You do that then", scorned Melissa, she knew that Claire was going to find out one way or another and Phillip would be the easiest target for information.

"Ok then, I will!".

Claire stormed out of the room in a huff and headed for the front door. She opened it forcefully and slammed it shut behind her; slumping herself against it once she had gotten outside in an effort to control her anger. She took a deep sigh and pulled herself together, beginning to walk up towards the local bus-stop. Claire and her mother weren't exactly what you called close but Claire was completely livid that Melissa would keep something so big from her. She had an auntie, an auntie who she'd never met, but Claire hoped to change this sometime soon. Now she knew, Claire would not let this one lie. She was going to find out **everything** about her mum and Rachel. Absolutely everything without **no** details spared.

A couple of minutes had passed since Claire had began waiting for the bus to turn up, when all of a sudden it hurriedly sped around the corner stealing Claire from her thoughts. She held a hand out to the driver, causing him to put the bus to a swift holt as Claire's feet. She hurriedly scattered onto the packed bus and paid the fare before taking up the only available seat at the back of the bus. The air was humid and stuffy; Claire would rather be anywhere else in the world, even if it meant being in her mother's company. The journey towards Phil's and Ros' was only a couple of minutes and as soon as the bus turned the corner towards the designated stop, Claire got up to leave the bus - determined for some answers.


End file.
